2. Bitterblue

By Kristin Cashore (563 pp)

This is the third book set in this world. I read Graceling and Fire last year and liked them both. I liked this book, too, and recommend them all. In this world some people are born with a special power called a grace. This story is about a young woman who inherits the throne after her horrible father whose grace was getting people to do awful things is given the heave-ho. I did think it got long winded and thought the whole story hung on pretty slender premise. I said I thought Fire was soap-opera-y and this one is too. But the characters are so charming and wonderful, it's fun to read.